


Love is Many Splendid Things?

by ALostHeart



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Love, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-03
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-07 07:55:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1117409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALostHeart/pseuds/ALostHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>More than a little desperate for romance, Caroline Forbes seeks help from an unusual source to solve her dilemma. It's simple. She wants love. However, she hadn't anticipated for two unlikely choices to be thrust upon her. One, a rebellious thief with an incredible ability to piss her off. And the other, a veteran from World War 2. AU/AH Klaroline, with a side of Steroline.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ugh, that smug asshole!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my lovelies! Here I come with a new story.
> 
> I got this idea from Grey's Anatomy. In season 8 episode 7 or 8, I can't quite remember now, a patient was an author. She was writing a book about a girl who time travels between two worlds and is in love with a man in each world, or that's what I gathered from the show. So, I kinda just took the base of the idea and built on it.
> 
> Now to be clear, this is NOT a triangle... Not really anyways. A triangle indicates that both couple will be represented with equal attention, but this is not the case in this story. It's very Klaroline centered with a little Steroline on the side. But, clearly, Klaroline is the main couple. So, please try not to hate Stefan in this :P
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own TVD or TO or anything that has to do with either... Unfortunately. Enjoy!

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

_Desperate times call for desperate measures,_ Caroline repeated in her head as she stepped into the tent, constantly glancing over her shoulder, afraid that someone might recognize her even though there was not a single soul looking in her direction.

She squinted, adjusting her eyes to the dim lightening of the tent and taking in the unnerving atmosphere.

"Come, child" a woman said from the corner. Much to Caroline's distaste, the woman was everything that Caroline had anticipated her to be. Old-looking and distressing, that is. She was sitting behind a table, dressed in what seemed to be a random party of colors and thrown garments all around her body that one could barely make out her figure or see anything that was not her face.

"Don't fret" the woman composedly mouthed, ushering Caroline to step forward again "Come"

Caroline gulped down as she stepped closer to the table which the woman sat behind, a mantra in her head telling her that she was the stupidest being to roam the land as she hesitantly sat on the chair across from the creepy-looking woman.

"Give me your hand" the woman, like the real fortune-teller that she was, ordered, resting her own on the table and Caroline noticed how heavily decorated they were. Rings and bracelets hanging from the bony fingers and she had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes, because really? That was a scene right out of a cheesy romantic comedy where the fortune teller ends up telling the heroine that her "true love" or "soul mate" or whatever that crap was called will appear when she stopped looking and/or least expected it.

Caroline watched as the fortune-teller stared intently at her palms, nodding and humming in agreement to herself which made Caroline increasingly uncomfortable. She cursed whatever kind of rationalization her mind had given her to step into that forsaken tent in that God forsaken carnival.

"I see" the woman finally spoke calmly.

"What exactly do you see?" Caroline asked incredulously, her eyebrows shooting up.

"You're looking for romance" the woman said with a knowing smirk "You think that your life is empty"

 _I bet you say that to everyone,_ Caroline faked a smile,  _why did I come here again? Right, desperate times, desperate measures._ She shook her head.

"And you think I can tell you where to find it" the woman said again without tearing her eyes from Caroline's hands.

"Or how, or when. Really anything would be helpful" Caroline blurted out.

The woman looked up, smiling at Caroline and flashing a perfect set of teeth much to the latter's surprise "You mustn't be so impatient, child. You're still young. And if only you had waited a little bit longer, you would not have needed this visit"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Caroline frowned.

"Your true love is on his way" the woman simply said "You'll meet him on Tuesday"

"Next Tuesday?" Caroline scoffed "And do you happen to know the exact time?"

"Yes, child. Meeting him will be the first thing you do on Tuesday" the woman said as though oblivious to Caroline's mocking tone "But be careful. Love is unexpected and difficult sometimes. And your heart might play tricks with your mind"

"Right" Caroline mocked, rising from her seat and muttering under her breath about how much of a mistake that was, almost slapping herself for her own idiocy.

"Choose wisely, child" The woman said as Caroline stepped out of the tent unaware of the woman's knowing smile, stomping her feet as she headed back to her apartment with her head bent in shame and her eyes glued to the ground, as though everyone could tell where she had just been.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid Caroline._

She was just glad that she hadn't mouthed a word about this to her friends.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Ugh, that smug asshole!**

* * *

"Then he leaned in" Caroline continued with the more-than-a-little-too-elaborate storytelling as her three friends stood before her, giving her their undivided attention.

"I'm not gonna like where this is going" Elena groaned.

"And he kissed me." Caroline made a disgusted face "And it was not a nice peck on the lips, or a sweet first kiss, no he was practically  _eating_ my face"

"Ugh" the three friends let out in harmony.

"And what's even worst is that he smelled of garlic" Caroline exclaimed, waving her hands in the air as a shudder ran down her spine at the memory of her catastrophic night less than twelve hours before her detailed story-telling.

"Oh man" Lexi wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"What did you do in your past life" Bonnie said, appalled at the image.

"Gosh, I'm gonna kill Matt" Elena huffed, blaming her boyfriend for arranging that horrifying blind date for Caroline.

" _I'm_ gonna kill Matt, then bring him back to life and kill him again" Caroline blurted, her tone irritated and angry in equal measures "I thought we had a code to make sure the people we set each other up with would be completely checked for sanity and sanitary!"

Although Caroline was not completely mad at Matt as much as she was mad at herself for being so desperate and oh so whiny about her lack of love life that she let herself be set-up for horrible dates time after time. And she was not even going to start with the new levels of stupidity that she had reached while searching for an eligible bachelor; the worst being heading to a fortune-teller in hopes for an answer, any kind of answer.

"Well, he's his cousin! How could he have known?" Elena muttered.

"I don't know, maybe the fact that he's from his family says enough!" Caroline shook he head.

"Be nice, Care" Bonnie started when Elena winced, grimacing at her friend's accusation.

" _You_ don't get to say anything" Caroline turned to her green-eyed friend "Do not forget that you set me up with that creepy I'm-so-cool-with-my-motorcycle dude, who, by the way, had no manners and zero social skills. And seriously, Bonnie, did you forget that Vicki Donovan is a part of Matt's family and his I'm-a-mom-but-no-I'm-not mother?"

Lexi chuckled "Alright, alright, we get your point. Now enough with your rage spree and tell us what happened next!"

"Next you ask?" Caroline gritted her teeth "He tried to deepen the kiss and his hands went straight to my ass, that's what happened next"

Her friends gasped in harmony.

"I had to literally unclasp his claws from my skin before they left a permanent mark. And the funny thing is, he asked when should be our next date because I was 'wonderful' and he wanted to see me again" Caroline sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The guy is obviously desperate" Bonnie stated.

"The guy is obviously a  _sicko"_ Lexie snickered "If he was desperate, Caroline would've been able to relate"

"Excuse me!" Caroline glared at her blonde friend "I am not  _that_ desperate"

"Please" Lexi rolled her eyes "You've been running around practically begging for a boyfriend for the past two months"

"Lexi!" Elena and Bonnie scolded in union

"What? You know that it's true" Lexi objected.

Bonnie shrugged while Elena opened then closed her mouth repeatedly, searching for something to say but miserably failing. Lexi's statement held more truth to it than Caroline would like admit. But in her defense, it's been two years since she was even remotely close to an actual relationship. And even though it shouldn't bother her so much, she was growing increasingly lonelier with the knowledge that her best friend, Elena, was in a steady relationship and that Matt was going to propose soon, something that he had told Caroline when he needed her help with ring shopping, while she spent her time watching chick flicks on Netflix.

"I know, Lexi" Caroline lastly said in a defeated tone "I am turning pathetic. But in my defense, ever since the Tyler catastrophe I've not so much as had two weeks with a guy. And I know, what happened between me and Tyler was a wake-up call, and it made me realize that I have to help you guys open up this place" she gestured to their surroundings "and start stuffing people with sugar and bake chocolate brownies, but it's been  _two years,_  and while I was mending my broken heart with decorating cakes, all decent guys got married or turned gay!"

"So?" Lexi shook her head "Start dating women!"

Caroline rolled her eyes "You guys don't get it! You" she gestured to Bonnie "Have Jeremy. And you" she turned to Elena "Have a perfect relationship with perfect Dr. Matt. And you" she motioned to Lexi "You are so determined to spend your life as a rebel and spend the rest of eternity hating men. While here I am, spending the night eating pizza and crying over romantic movies and going on blind dates with losers and thinking that I'll end up an old lady with cats"

"Care, I think you're over reacting" Bonnie volunteered "You're twenty-six not forty"

"I probably am. I just can't help it. I want romantic dinners and strolling down the street holding hands and cuddling on a couch watching silly movies. I want flowers and little kisses in the morning and having someone to wake-up next to. I want to fall in love" Caroline sighed.

"You wanna get laid" Lexi casually commented, drifting away from the group to serve a customer.

Elena couldn't help but chuckle before receiving a sharp glare from Caroline.

"Sorry" she apologized "But seriously, Care, you'll be fine. You're smart and funny and pretty and any guy will be lucky to have you. You just have to be a little patient."

"I guess so" Caroline said "You know what, I'm not gonna search for anything anymore. If it happens so be it. If it doesn't, I won't be wallowing about it. I am a strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man" she firmly stated.

"I bet you a hundred dollars that this will last no longer than three days" Lexi mocked as the customer left.

"Lexi!" Bonnie and Elena scolded again.

Caroline silently rolled her eyes, shook her head before heading back to the kitchen to bake a new set off cupcakes; because really, cupcakes were the cure for all heartache.

Even movies on Netflix got boring after a while. And since Caroline had somehow managed to work her way through every cheesy romantic comedy known to mankind, she had fallen asleep on her couch while watching _27 Dresses_ for the umpteenth time, after she had about 12 cupcakes for dinner (Don't judge her, OK? Her life sucked).

It was around 1 A.M when a noise resounding from Caroline's balcony caused her to stir. Well, it wasn't really a balcony, just a tiny space that allowed her to breathe fresh air without having to leave her apartment. Groaning slightly, she forced her eyes opened.

 _It must be the neighbor's cat,_ she thought huffily.

Kitty, the neighbor's cat, who had the most ridiculously obvious name by the way, made it a habit to jump from her owner's porch to Caroline's. No one knew what exactly compelled her to do that, or why exactly was she so fond of Caroline's tiny balcony, but it had happened several times ever since the young couple who lived above Caroline adopted her.

Caroline groaned again, knowing that she will have to leave the warmth of her apartment to the freezing night air to return Kitty to her owners. She pondered delaying this task till the morning, but felt a surge of guilt at the thought of leaving Kitty to freeze in the night air. She could delay bringing her back to the young couple to the next morning, but she had to at least bring her into the apartment. Excuse you, she wasn't heartless, and she was not about to leave an innocent creature to freeze.

"Idiots" Caroline muttered to herself as she pulled the blanket around her body and headed towards the door that would bring in the cold night air into her apartment "Like how difficult can it be to completely close the door once you go to sleep?"

Placing her hand on the knob, she braced herself for the stabbing chill before reluctantly pulling the door opened and stepping into the balcony.

"Hey Kitty" she sleepily called out, not bothering to spot the cat in the darkness "come insi…"

Her words were cut off by a hand clamping down on her mouth, and a firm body pressing against hers from behind. She yelped, a rush of fear coursing through her. Her mind tried to calculate an appropriate plan to get rid of whoever was behind her, but came up with nothing amidst her panic.

"Relax, love" a deep, voice whispered soothingly into her ear "I am not going to hurt you"

She noticed two things about his voice: he had an accent, which was sexy as hell but infuriating because, seriously, she could not be thinking of how sexy her kidnapper's voice is! The second thing was that he was holding back  _laughter_. Who the hell laughs while kidnapping someone?

So her kidnapper was a lunatic with a sexy as hell voice. Terrific.

 _"You're telling me to relax after you broke into my fucking house?"_ Caroline attempted to yell but it came out as nothing but muffled screaming that he found quite amusing for a reason that was beyond Caroline's understanding.

"Alright, sweetheart, it's cold. We should get inside" he chuckled.

If Caroline was some cartoon character she would be tomato red with rage and huffing fire that would entirely destroy Chicago with nothing to blame except for the smugness in his tone.

She tried to thrash against him as he began to pull her back inside, but he had strategically placed an arm across her stomach that held her arms firmly to her upper body; an iron grip that made it impossible for her to gain any kind of functions in her upper body. Her legs, too, proved to be useless when he half carried her and they started to swing aimlessly. He did not seem the least bit affected by her attempts to escape which led her to believe that he was an expert in the art of kidnapping people.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

Although, did it even count as kidnapping if it was happening in her own house? Caroline scowled at her own ridiculous mind. Of course it did. Besides, who knows, he might as well be a serial killer who tortured or raped his victims before leaving them in their own beds like the monstrous pervert he was. She remembered reading something along those lines in the Sunday morning newspaper. Or was that a movie?

Well, either ways, if he was, indeed, going to kill her, it would be entirely the Kitty's fault.

Once they stepped back into the warmth of her apartment, he removed the hand that was muffling her screams to close and lock the door of her balcony.

"LET GO OF ME YOU SICK, PSYCHOTIC, FREAKISH ASSHOLE" she yelled. OK, this insult sounded so much better in her head.

"Calm down, love" he said again "I'm not going to hurt you".

She growled, pushing away from him as soon as his grip loosened around her. Luckily to Caroline, her apartment was the size of a shoebox, something that she had never been grateful for until that particular moment for that little push she gave herself away from him thrust her into the counter of her kitchen where she grabbed the first object in front of her.

"Stay right where you are!" she exclaimed as she rapidly turned around to face her kidnapper  _slash_ serial killer _slash_ possible rapist. Although Caroline was beginning to question her conclusion, because what she saw when she turned around did not scream danger in anyway. The guy was chuckling almost jovially, his blue eyes –his beautiful blue eyes, glittering with glee, and a set of the most adorable dimples graced his cheeks, decorating, along with the light stubble, the most lusciously beautiful lips that Caroline had ever seen. His amusement was enhanced when he saw the object that she was threateningly pointing at him.

"A frying pan?" he hardly stopped himself from doubling over with laughter "You know, love, most people who actually have access to the kitchen go with a knife" he raised his eyebrows at her amusedly.

Well, Mr. "I'm so smug and so cool and so innocent looking but damn dangerously sexy", first, that was the first thing she saw, second, she would have to reach to the drawer and open it to extract a knife and the drawer happened to be far from her reach. She had no chance of reaching it what's with your hawk-like gaze following her every movement like she was some interesting creature. Besides, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider made it work; it wasn't like either of them was better than her. True, they were fictional, but still, her point stands.

"I can make it deadly" she opted for this simple answer that came out like a growl. For some reason he only found her increasingly entertaining rather than intimidating which was apparent in his constant chuckles and sparkling blue eyes.

"I'm sure you can" he mocked, linking his hands behind his back and making a move to step towards her.

"Don't" she pointedly said, waving the frying pan in his face "make another move and I'll break your nose with this then I'll scream so loud the entire neighborhood will wake up and come to kill you"

"Now we wouldn't want that, would we, love?" he bemused, lifting up both hands in surrender.

"And wipe that smug smirk off of your face" she demanded to which he had to press his lips to a thin line to keep himself from laughing.

"And stop staring at me like that!" she ordered again firmly.

"Like what?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Like… Like… Like you like what you see!" she blurted out, regretting her words immediately. Could she be any less eloquent? You would think with all the amount of blabbering she threw around all day long would somehow improve her ability to express herself. But no! Caroline Forbes must always manage to blurt nonsense left and right the whole time.

"Ah, but I do like what I see" his handsome face split into a grin, as his eyes scanned over her figure once more which caused her to narrow her eyes at him.

"You have nothing to blame but your choice of outfit, love" his grin widened even more as he caught the flustered look on her face.

It suddenly dawned on her that in her haste to grab a weapon from the kitchen, the blanket had fell from her body, leaving her in her pink pajamas that consisted of short-shorts and a tank top with a teddy bear painted across the chest. Absurdly enough, she felt her blood rising to color her cheeks red under his intense gaze, which made her even more embarrassed and ten times more outraged –mainly with herself and her ridiculous reactions thus far, but she was focusing all of her anger at him for the moment.

"Well, if you hadn't noticed, I was going to bed when a psycho broke into my house" she scowled.

He placed a hand on his chest in mock offense "You say the harshest things, love." He said calmly, the same sarcastically pained expression on his face "I am not a 'psycho' as you assume, nor did I break into your house. I merely jumped into your balcony. You were the one who invited me in"

"Invited you in?" she exclaimed incredulously "You grabbed me, muffled my screams then dragged me back into my own apartment like I was a sack of flour!"

He shook his head lightly, as though pondering her words, with a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth "You paint quite an image. However, all in all, this is just a matter of technicality"

She rolled her eyes, huffing in annoyance.

"My point is, sweetheart, that I did not intend to break into your home the least bit. I was merely going to hide in your balcony until the police lost track of me then I would have simply left. But I wasn't about to miss an opportunity to escape the cold" he said with a nonchalant shrug.

"Care to tell me why the police are after you?" she raised her eyebrows.

"I was stealing" he stated, as though it was the most normal thing in the world, not seeming guilty the least bit "which, as you know, a crime that doesn't involve harming people, which means that I have no intention whatsoever of hurting you even after you waved that deadly frying pan in my face."

"Yes, of course, you're harmless. The next thing you're going to tell me is that you have a good reason for it" she scoffed "that you have a family that needs your support and please they will die of hunger if I don't feed them!" she twisted her face in a sarcastic puppy-eyes face.

He erupted into laughter, the kind of laugh that bubbled up then exploded all at once that it became this loud uncontrollable fit of sounds.

"What's so funny?" Caroline asked, offended at the way he seemed to find her so amusing.

"Nothing, love, nothing at all" he said after he had collected himself and the laughter subsided.

She rolled her eyes once more. Seriously, if he was going to keep up the charade, then she would have a headache from all the times she would roll her eyes at him.

"So you admit that you don't have an excuse for stealing?" she skeptically asked.

"Oh, I very much do. I do not have a family to support. In fact the last thing that they need is my support. And believe me they will most definitely not starve if I did not steal." He paused for a moment, composing himself until all the silly laughter and childish grins were gone to be replaced with a devious smirk as his voice dropped to a deep, throaty tone "I do it for the Adrenaline".

"Excuse me?" she stuttered, her eyes widening at his sudden change of domineer. With the half smirk painted on his face, the all black attire contrasting with his skin, the lights in her apartment casting a dangerously beautiful glow on his face and the sexy, oh so sexy, low voice that resonated from deep within his chest, he seemed nothing short of the devil; dripping with utter danger and sweet, sweet seduction.

"The adrenaline, sweetheart" he continued with that same tone, taking a step towards her. Instead of ordering him to stop moving, however, she found her grip loosening around the frying pan, and her voice faltering. There was something about his confident steps that made her lose focus, and when he opened his mouth to talk again, it did not help the least bit "The elaborate plan that must be followed to the dot. The feeling of doing something dangerous, the rush that comes with knowing that you're doing something illegal, something absolutely unacceptable, the pounding of your heart as you nearly get caught over and over again, and the feeling that you have escaped, the relief, the joy, is the most exquisite thing you'll ever experience."

Somehow, he managed to stalk forward towards her until there was barely any space between their bodies. Her weapon had gone slack in her hand as she continued to stare at him wide-eyed. Her mouth hung-opened, as her breathing picked up at the intoxicating scent that radiated off of him. She was beginning to feel lightheaded at his proximity, a whirlwind of unrecognizable emotions raging through her at the wicked look in his eyes. They scanned her face, caressing her skin with gentle, but oh so hungry, touches.

"Do you know that feeling, love?" he whispered, his face inching closer to hers that his breath was tickling her cheeks "Have you ever done anything that made your heart pound erratically? Have you ever done something that made you lose complete control only to regain it? Have you ever felt like you could do anything, absolutely anything no matter how wrong of a deed it was? Have you ever wanted experience such a thing, sweetheart?"

"I…" was all Caroline managed to mouth. Too distracted by the way his lips moved and his eyes blazed, she was, that no coherent sentence formed in her mind.

"Tell me, love, are you thinking of something that is absolutely improper right now?" he continued his torturous whispers, inching even closer to her face that her eyes could not help but flicker to his delectable-looking lips "Is your heart pounding right now? Will I feel the exhilarating beat under my fingertip if I place it on your pulse point now?" he muttered, his eyes drifting towards the column of her neck, the milky skin causing his own heartbeats to pick up.

"Yes" she breathed.

Slowly, so very slowly, he began to close the gap between them, his lips inching closer and closer to hers. She could almost feel them brushing up against hers when a loud bang erupted and Klaus collapsed to the floor in an unconscious heap.

Caroline grinned, staring at the frying pan that had just given that sexy thief a bump on his head.

"I told you I can make it deadly" she whispered to his unconscious body.

* * *


	2. Maybe Act Like a Normal Person?

  
_What to do? What to do? Oh God what do I do?_

There are two kinds of people in this world. When an intruder invades the house people tend to do one of two options. One: Call 911 as soon as the phone becomes available and danger-free. Or two: Scream and thrash until the whole building is awake and barging through the door.

And then there was Caroline Forbes.

Caroline did not scream her lungs out until Tony and Penny, Kitty's owners, woke up from their deep slumber and came down to help her. She did not beg for her life or shook in her boots when the only weapon she had against him was a frying pan. And she did not call 911 when the intruder was drifting through darkness.

No. Instead she played a round of tit-for-tat with him, let herself be attracted to his sex appeal, nearly kissed him, knocked him unconscious, then  _searched his pockets instead of bouncing on the phone and calling the police._ No, she did not feel the hard planes of his chest or delighted in the shape of his firm ass when she searched his back pockets (Dangerous weapons could be there!) , why would anyone think  _that_?

But now, she was sitting on her couch huddled, watching him as he began to stir. She knew that he had no dangerous weapons on him, but God damn it he could still kill her with his bare hands.  _Why was not calling the police a good idea again Caroline?_

Right, because he seemed harmless and she somewhat did not feel like sending him to jail. This sounded so much better in her head. No, it still had nothing to do with his pretty ass or cute dimples or sexy accent OK? And no, she was not feeling a little guilty about the purple bruise that was forming on the side of his face, right next to his brow and spreading to the right side of his forehead.

_Did you really have to go with the face, Caroline?_

A groan emitted from his throat. Caroline braced herself, holding the frying pan (yes again) tightly in one hand and a knife, for good measure in the other.

At least she got  _something_ right!

"Where am I?" he muttered, opening bleary eyes to see a figure of a blonde woman sitting in a rather uncomfortable position on a couch with two objects that he couldn't quite make out held in her outstretched hands.

"Don't move" she demanded.

It was then that he remembered what exactly had happened and how he ended up with that stabbing headache in a small apartment.

"Right" he chuckled "the feisty blonde"

Caroline rolled her eyes at the beaming smile stretching across his face as he began to slowly sit up. Whether his slow movements were to ensure that she would not attack him,  _again_ , or for the simple fact that he was still disoriented, she did not know. Either ways, it was making her job at keeping him in check much easier.

"I must say, I expected to wake up in jail with far less pleasant company" he grinned as he sat up completely, craning his neck and rubbing a sour spot "You never cease to amaze, apparently"

"Well, I searched you and you're not armed so you can't be  _that_  dangerous" she snorted.

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline , his grin widening that it almost split his face. But it wasn't the amused grin that he seemed to bestow whenever she did something that he particularly liked. Instead it was a wolfish one. It somewhat resembled his predatory smirk.

Caroline had never in her life wanted to slap herself as bad as that particular moment. Who the hell notices how their kidnapper smiled? Although, did he still count as her kidnapper? She was the one who knocked him out and currently had the upper hand.

Well, like he would say, it's all a matter of technicality.

"You searched me, love?" the predator asked, snapping Caroline out of her frenzy.

"Yes" she said firmly, failing to see how that could be entertaining to him.

"And here you thought I was the harmful one?" he shook his head, fake hurt taking over his still smiling face "You attack me, cause me a concussion -"

"I did not cause you a freaking concussion" She rolled her eyes.

"took advantage of me" he continued, ignoring her "and now you're holding a knife to my face. I think you're the dangerous one here, sweetheart"

"Took advantage of you?" Caroline furrowed her brows, practically screeching the part that stuck out to her in the conversation "What the hell does that suppose to mean?"

"Well, you searched me, did you not?" he looked up at her innocently "Last I checked, this process required touching. And you did it without my consent"

From his position sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of Caroline, his blue eyes looking up at her with fake-innocence and downturned lips with a teasing pout, he looked nothing more than a lost puppy. The thought made Caroline fidgety, because damn it what was wrong with her? Here was this dangerous, insufferable, rude and assholic man in front of her and she could not stop thinking about how much she wished she could get a little taste of those inviting lips.

_That's probably because he's sexy and cute and adorable, too, you know._

Caroline rolled her eyes at her own thought. Eternal internal conflict.

"It's quite OK, though, love" He began, practically purring as he added "I very much enjoy women in control"

Caroline's face turned crimson at his suggestive tone, which not only embarrassed her, but also infuriated her all the more. This was an effect that he so clearly had on her. Blushing in anger and embarrassment at the same time.

"Listen you... you... asshole" she began, rising to her feet and waving her dangerous weapons in his face frantically. Her new nickname only seemed to entertain him further for he gave her another smile in answer to it "I did not take advantage of you. I was protecting myself." he began to say something but she cut him off "And don't flatter yourself you're not that handsome"

"Now, now, let's not say things we don't mean, love" he interrupted in a matter-of-factly tone.

"But since I was gracious enough to not call the police" her voice rose above his as she bent to be level with him, her knife poised against his throat "You will get your ass out of my apartment and never show me your face ever again" she threatened in a low tone.

Caroline somehow convinced herself that he was threatened when, frankly, he was barely holding back his laughter.

"Do you understand me?" she hissed.

He nodded quickly "Yes" he tried to say as firmly as possible.

"Good" she shrugged after a long staring contest, straightening again to give him space.

He, too, stood up, smoothing his clothes as he headed for the door. His hand was at the door knob when he turned around with his smirk still intact

"Can I at least know your name?" he tilted his head to the side.

"No" she snapped.

"Alright then" he sighed, seeming truly disheartened "See you around, love. And thank you for such hospitality."

When the door was finally firmly shut, Caroline released a breath she did not know she was holding. Quickly, she ran to the door and locked it, doing the same for the balcony's door before rushing to the kitchen to put back her weapons where they belonged.

It was around four A.M when she finally managed to slip into bed. She thought that with all the adrenaline of the night still coursing through her she wouldn't be able to sleep. However this proved to be wrong when she immediately felt the familiar droop of her eyelids as her body hummed tiredly.

One thought lingered as Caroline began to drift asleep.

_Who the hell doesn't get cranky after receiving a hit to the head? Ugh, I hate that bastard._

Then she fell asleep.

* * *

The sun burned behind Caroline's eyelids, turning her pitch-black vision into an unwelcomed shade of orange as the sunrays cascaded through the curtains.

Strange, Caroline had picked thick curtains for that particular purpose. She did not like to be awakened by the sunlight so rudely. Perhaps she had left them opened the night before? Weird, she never left the curtains opened while sleeping. Yet, once she recalled the events of the night before, she realized that forgetting to shut the drapes was not the least bit strange. After all, she had practically been through a trauma... well, kind of anyway.

Despite her knowledge that she should get up and head to work, Caroline turned in her half-asleep state to face the other wall in her room, hoping to block the sun and continue to blissfully sleep for an hour or so more. Her friends could handle it at the bakery and once she told them about the incident of the night before, they will not be mad at her. However, the bed squeaked in protest under Caroline's movements, the sheets seemed rougher than usual on her skin, and the mattress far too thin for her liking.

 _Something was definitely wrong_ , she frowned in her sleep.

"Caroline Forbes!" an irritated tone resounded causing Caroline's eyes to fly open "Do you plan on spending all your days here asleep till noon?"

Caroline found herself staring at a pale worn-out, white wall, and a narrow bed that was laying next to hers. It was then that she realized that her bed was as narrow and uncomfortable-looking as the one that stared back at her. She was definitely not in her room, definitely not in her house.

She gulped, trying to soothe her nerves before panic would begin to set in. Could it possibly be him? Did he come back and take her for real? Is the woman shouting at her his assistant?

Her mind was flying with possibilities as her heartbeats drummed loudly in her ears. She was as rigid as a stone, afraid that if she ever tried to move her whole world would collapse.

 _This is a dream_ , her mind concluded. But when Caroline pinched herself, she did not jolt awake in her own bed, back in her own apartment. Besides, everything seemed far too vivid for it to be merely a dream.

"Are you alive there?" the same voice called out in a snarl.

Slowly, Caroline sat up to face a brunette woman. She couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she was, wavy brown hair, hourglass-figure, beautiful olive-colored skin and a stance that would make anyone want to stay as far away as possible from her bad side. Which was exactly where Caroline realized she had landed when she saw the woman sizing her with a quirked eyebrow.

"Where am I?" Caroline finally murmured.

 _Dear God, what if he brought me here to turn me into his pet? Why didn't I call the police last night?_ Caroline frantically thought.

"I swear they're getting stupider by the second" the woman muttered exasperatedly as she threw her hands in the air in a frustrated manner "Why do I always have to be in charge of the dumb ones?"

Caroline watched her movements with a tinge of hurt at the assumption that she was stupid, and a ton-load of confusion at the woman's appearance. Now that Caroline looked at her closely, she realized that the woman was dressed in a red dress. That would not have been weird if it wasn't for the fact that the dress's design seemed to belong to another time. Caroline was certain that she had seen something similar to it in a movie, but she couldn't quite place which movie it was.

"I'm Katherine Pierce and I'm your superior. You can call me Katherine" she paused, her eyes scrutinizing Caroline again before she continued "The only reason that you can call me by my first name is because I hate my family's name. Don't get the impression that I like you or that I'm nice or friendly in anyway. Do you understand?"

Caroline nodded quickly.

"Good, now get up, get dressed and follow me".

Without a word further Katherine sauntered out of the room. She seemed every bit as graceful and catlike as any other Vitoria's Secret top models Caroline had seen.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Caroline sprang to her feet, looking for an escape. Seriously, where the hell was she? And why would that woman think that Caroline had something to change into or that she was about to follow her? They kidnapped her for heaven's sake!

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when something caught her attention. Right on the wall opposite the bed where Caroline had been sleeping moments ago, four wooden doors were aligned next to each other. Each of them held the name of its owner, or so Caroline assumed. And strangely enough, her name was on one of them. Caroline approached it, swinging the door opened to reveal a bunch of dresses that were similar to Katherine's.

"Where am I and why are my dresses looking like they came right out of  _Pearl Harbor_?" Caroline shook her head, finally realizing what the atmosphere of this  _dream_ or  _prank_ (she was not going to accept any other explanation at the moment) reminded her of.

The door clicking opened snapped her out of her stupor. She looked up to see a man clad in an army suit that matched the one Ben Affleck was wearing in the movie. In fact, she half expected to see his face once her eyes met his. However, she was pleasantly surprised when she saw a pair of beautiful grey-green eyes looking back at her. And when she focused on his handsome features, she found that they were even more enhanced with his uniform.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to barge in like that" he apologized, clearing his throat "I was looking for Katherine Pierce?"

"She just left" Caroline said, giving him a smile.

He looked at her intently, his eyes taking her in. But unlike Katherine, he did not seem to judge her, but rather admire her. She remembered another man who was giving her a similar look that made her skin tingle in the most unpleasant way (actually, the feeling was quite pleasant but she pretended otherwise). It seemed different as this man took in her features. Her skin didn't feel as though he was caressing her with gentle fingers. The blood didn't rush to her face. His gaze made her smile, feel flattered, even, but nothing more. Perhaps it was the kindness that lingered in his gentle eyes, or the sincerity etched on his face that made the effect quite different from the one The Assholic Thief had on her.

"You're new here, aren't you?" he asked at last, looking almost embarrassed when he caught the knowing smile stretched on her face.

"Yes" she muttered. She was about to ask him where exactly is here and what the hell was she doing in  _here_  and what  _year_ were they in, but refrained. She would ask those questions to someone she wouldn't care about them thinking of her as an idiot.

 _Like Katherine?_ her brain scoffed. Yeah, maybe she shouldn't ask at all.

"Well, I'm Stefan Salvatore" he said, coming closer to her and reaching out to shake her hands.

"Caroline" she said, taking his hand and shaking it lightly.

He gave her a gentle smile that she returned.

"Welcome to Hawaii, Caroline" He softly said, giving her a small bow before heading out of the room.

Caroline stood baffled, planted in her place. It wasn't necessarily Stefan Salvatore that had this effect on her, instead it was what he just uttered.

_Did he just say Hawaii? How the hell did I end up on Hawaii? Why the hell am I on Hawaii?_

Maybe she was living in the movie Pearl Harbor.

* * *

The day unfolded as an endless dream to Caroline -except that it was no dream. Everything felt so tangible, so real, that the idea of it being a dream seemed a little unreasonable. But how can the idea of her being in Hawaii in the 1940s be rational in any way? She pinched herself and waited to wake up. She slapped water across her face and waited to jolt awake. Then, remembering Inception, the movie she watched on a whim because Leonardo Dicaprio was super hot, and purposefully fell from a chair. That only earned her a hard glare from Katherine.

Katherine. Caroline now could not think of the name without hissing. She was a pain in the ass by all accounts. Cocky, arrogant, bitchy, condescending and absolutely intolerable. And Caroline suffered on her hands greatly due to the fact that the brunette disliked her quite a bit.

Caroline would not admit it, but deep down, in the darkest corners of her mind, she knew that it was her fault. The woman was taking Caroline on a tour in the hospital where she supposedly volunteered to be a nurse, helping soldiers and whatnot. When Katherine began explaining their system Caroline laughed and asked her whose idea was this prank. This caused Katherine to snap at her.

"I don't know who the hell do you think you are! This is not a joke!" she practically snarled "Lives of men will be hanging on the balance do you think that this is some kind of a funny joke? This spoiled brat attitude will get you nowhere when there are wounded men all around you"

"And you think that  _your_ attitude will get you anywhere" Caroline retorted.

In Caroline's defense, it was in her nature. People with bitchy attitude brought out the bitch in her. It's a mechanism that she had learned ever since her high school days so she could cope with the harshness of the cheerleading team back there. If she didn't want to end up as their doormat, she better talk back.

But unlike the rest of her high school "friends", Katherine didn't talk back she simply turned around and continued with the tour, explaining in monotonous detail what everyone's job was. She was so elaborate that there was no way Caroline would have ever been able to catch up. Caroline even doubted that Katherine was paying attention to herself! To make it worse, not only was the hospital lacking all of the cool machines Caroline had seen on TV, but also the doctors were not cute or hot or good-looking like Grey's Anatomy, which was quite a letdown to Caroline. She had always thought of doctors as McDreamy and McSteamy, and Matt's good-looks only further affirmed that everyone went through a photo shoot for Calvin Klein underwear before being accepted into Medical School. A few nice-looking soldiers passed her by, but other than that everything was pretty boring. Now, now, Caroline did not usually pass up her time checking out guys (Although she and her friends announced it as their second favorite pastime activity, right after shopping) but Caroline was truly, really bored.

Katherine's punishment came full circle soon when she was pouring coffee to herself then turned around and the cup accidentally slipped her grasp to splash across Caroline's dress (she had to admit, the dress made her feel like she was in a costume party which was not necessarily a bad thing). To make matters worse, the handsome soldier from earlier, Stefan, decided to approach them right as Katherine had apologized with the fakest expression Caroline had ever seen.

"Seriously?!" Caroline hissed. This was  _so_ high school-like "Very mature, Katherine" she muttered under her breath.

Katherine gave her another fake smile before turning back and almost bumping into a confused Stefan.

"Are you OK, Caroline?" he immediately asked Caroline, ignoring Katherine's smile.

"Wait you've met her?" Katherine asked before Caroline could answer.

"Yeah, we met earlier while I was looking for you" he answered Katherine quickly, still eyeing the stain on Caroline's dress worriedly "Maybe you should go and change?" he suggested to Caroline.

Again, Caroline opened her mouth only to be interrupted by Katherine "She's fine, it'll dry off in a second. Besides, it wasn't even that hot" Katherine shrugged "Did you need something Stefan?" she asked him, diverting his attention from the blonde who was rolling her eyes at the back of Katherine's head.

Stefan had to hold back his laughter, clearing his throat before answering the now-irritated-brunette's question "Have you seen Damon? I haven't been able to get a hold of him since yesterday morning". Once that sentence uttered, Stefan's face took on a rigid look, as though mouthing his question had just reminded him of his worries.

"No I haven't" she frowned "Why would you think that I have?"

"Well, considering how close you two are" Stefan shrugged. His movement, although intended to show his carelessness towards the subject was rather stiff.

Katherine sighed "We are not close, Stefan. And no, I have not seen him. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have work to get to"

Katherine motioned for Caroline to follow her who gave Stefan a quick smile and nod before going after Katherine. Caroline did not know why exactly she was following her, but the thought seemed better than to linger behind with Stefan who was clearly distracted from the forming line on his forehead and his pressed lips. And it was definitely better than getting lost in that hospital. She would stick around with Katherine until she finally woke up from that weird dream.

Yes, she was still convinced that it was a dream.

However it did not end until the day was over and, after much suffering with Katherine's tempers, she fell asleep on that uncomfortable bed.

 _Now, I'll wake up in my own bed_ , was her last thought.

And she did.

Caroline jolted awake in her room, in her bed with everything just like she had left it. She frowned. Even now that she was awake that dream still felt quite real. Wasn't it that usually all the unrealities about a certain dream only popped after the person awoke?

_Maybe the fact that you are a nurse volunteering in Hawaii in the 1940s is enough to clue you in?_

She shook her head. Yes, indeed, that dream was beyond weird but it was just that, a dream. She had no time to ponder her ideas any further for her eyes caught the alarm clock on her bedside to see 10:30 staring right back at her.

"They're going to kill me" she squeaked.

* * *

"Look who decided to show up!" Lexi snorted once Caroline stepped into their bakery.

"Good morning to you too, Lexi" Caroline muttered, still sipping her morning coffee. Gosh she was exhausted.

"Did your alarm clock break or something?" Elena asked, emerging from the kitchen with a tray full of cookies.

"Cookies" Caroline's eyes brightened.

"Those are for the costumers" Elena warned, moving the tray away from Caroline's hold when she reached for one. Bonnie came out of the kitchen and popped one into her mouth but no one protested.

"Hey!" Caroline objected.

"And for employees who made it on time" Elena shot back causing Bonnie to grin and Caroline to pout.

Without arguing further, she slipped into the back of the store and changed into her work uniform, tying her hair up in a messy bun. She went into the kitchen to start her baking routine, looking over the orders they had for the day when something suddenly caught her eyes.

The calendar. It was January 15th. And it happened to be Tuesday.

She frowned. Could it be? Right, of course, her one true love or soul mate or whatever was a thief who broke into her house.

 _Or Stefan_  her mind offered.

_Go figure, my true love would be the man of my dreams. Literally._

Caroline shook her head, chuckling at the absurdity of her thought. That thief was just that, a thief. And her nurse escapade in the 1940s was nothing but a dream.

"You guys are not going to believe what happened to me last night" Caroline began.

* * *

It was a long day before Caroline was finally back home. She was going to eat some microwave pasta, watch some crappy movie and enjoy a night in with nothing but her blanket to keep her warm... again. But unlike any other day, Caroline was actually looking forward to a calm evening. She had been unusually tired the whole day and just wanted to relax. The night before had been draining and her restless sleep did not allow her to gain back her energy.

Her plans proved to be futile when she stepped into her apartment to find it illuminated.

"What the..." she began.

"You know, Caroline, you need to stock more food in the fridge" she was cut off by the sexy voice that she, unfortunately, could immediately place. He was casually standing by the opened door of the fridge as if he owned the place.

"What the hell are you doing?" Caroline shrieked, taking a defensive pose immediately by poising her purse as a weapon. The frying pan was too far away.

"Looking for something to eat clearly" he said casually, raising his eyebrows at her like she had hit her head and was not thinking clearly "And by that I mean something other than cake and cookies. Something that doesn't include sugar and flour in its components" he teased.

"How the hell did you get into my house?" Caroline snapped, waving her hands in the air frantically.

"You know, people should stop putting their spare keys under the doormat" he said simply, grinning at her.

"I don't have a spare key under my doormat. I don't have a doormat!" she huffed.

"I never said you did, sweetheart" he replied casually "that was a general observation. I broke into your house"

"YOU BROKE INTO MY HOUSE?" Caroline yelled, rage consuming her every sense. She was not scared, which was idiotic, she was very much aware of that, she was enraged, infuriated, she wanted to slap that smug smile off his face. She wanted to kick and punch him until he was as angry as her so she could slam her mouth down on his and unleash all her frustration.

_Wait, what?_

"Yes, I'm very skilled at entering places without permission. Don't worry, though, Caroline, I did not break the lock. And I don't think any of your neighbors suspects anything." he explained, linking his arms behind his back with his smirk still intact "Oh and I didn't steal anything. I'm not interested in stealing from you"

"Oh really? Wow that's such a relief" Caroline mocked "If you don't want to steal then you can totally stay and break into my house you sick, psychotic fre-" she abruptly stopped her exclamations "How the hell did you know my name?" she asked calmly.

He blinked, seeming unaware of his slip until now "I listened to your messages on the phone" he opted to say after a long pause "Your mother wants you to call her" he continued calmly "I'm Klaus, by the way".

There was nothing but pure and utter rage written all over Caroline's face. She was stunned speechless by her anger, wanting to hit someone. No, wanting to hit him.

"YOU'RE CRAZY" she shouted "YOU'RE FUCKING CRAZY!"

"Well..." he began, shaking his head thoughtfully as he pondered her words "I was told that I am on several occasions. I neither agree nor disagree"

"That's it. I'm calling the police" she said firmly, marching to where the phone is supposed to be on a table next to the couch only to find the spot empty.

"Looking for this?" he asked waving his hand to reveal her phone.

She clenched her jaw "I'll just call them from my cell phone" she spat.

"Come on, love" he began, stepping towards her "we both know you are not going to call the police. You would have done it last night if you truly wanted to"

"I didn't know you were a complete maniac last night" she snapped, rummaging through her purse until she found the phone.

She was startled when she looked up to see him standing right in front of her. Invading her personal space seemed like something he was quite fond of.

"Get away from me" she demanded although it sounded weak as her breath hitched at the sight of his face so close to hers. The now purple bruise she had given him earlier did not affect his good looks a lot after all. She could not back away either, entrapped by the ocean blue eyes.

"I do not want to hurt you, Caroline" he began quietly, for the first time sounding serious "I am here merely or a request"

"A request?" she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to shield herself from those intense eyes.

"Yes" he nodded.

"And what is it that you're requesting?" she asked sarcastically.

"Your hair" he stated simply.

"Excuse me?"

"It's tantalizing." his voice dropped to a hushed tone, barely above a whisper. His eyes were focused on hers, holding her gaze, trapping her in a powerful embrace that she could not break loose of "I can feel the silky strands between my fingers by simply looking at it. I can feel it ticking my bare skin as you rest your head on my shoulder. I can spend hours contemplating the beauty of your hair, Caroline"

"W-what.." she stuttered.

"Your eyes" he continued "They're so bright, so alive, so fierce, so fearless. I can spend days looking into your eyes." his eyes dropped lower, stopping at the curve of her mouth "Your lips" it was a whisper, a sigh, almost pleading for a smile, a word, a letter, a breath, a kiss, a taste "they are the most cruel torment. They beckon me with every word you utter. So, very captivating they are, so very enticing that I would beg for a taste even if it means my demise. I would never tire of kissing those lips, Caroline"

She wanted to move, but her exhilarating breath, the shivers that continued to race up and down her spine prevented her. She wanted to stop him, but his hypnotizing voice was caging her in its silky smoothness. Her own eyes dropped to his lips, imagining how it would feel to kiss him and kiss him and kiss him until there was no breath left in her lungs. She could not imagine ever being satiated from one kiss, or two or a hundred or a thousand.

"Your body" his voice brought her out of her musings "It's sculptured to perfection. Every curve enthralling a fire within me. It burns endlessly, tirelessly. Even the oceans cannot put out this fire, Caroline. I can spend the rest of my life making love to you"

"I..." she muttered.

Nothing. No coherent thoughts. Not a single sentence. Her mind was completely blank, as though he had hypnotized her out of thinking.

"You're stunning. Absolutely beautiful in every possible way" he whispered "And I want nothing more than to capture your beauty on my canvas. I want to paint you, over and over and over again, in every possible situation, in every possible pose. I want you to be the model of my next art collection. I want to immortalize every inch of you, Caroline"

 

**Author's Note:**

> So? What did you think? Funny? Lame? Horrible Good? Any kind of feedback would be awesome! Thank you!


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